The effect of dopamine, apomorphine and piribedil on the mesenterial blood flow of the cat.

Responses to i.v. administration of dopamine, apomorphine, piribedil and bromocriptine were investigated in the feline mesenteric vascular bed. Dopamine increases the mesenterial flow in doses of 0.3 to 30 micrograms/kg; its effect can be inhibited by 1 to 3 mg/kg of sulpiride. Apomorphine and piribedil also increased the blood flow, but only in 20 to 200 times higher doses; they show a tachyphylaxis phenomenon and their maximal activity is 32 and 59 per cent, respectively, that of dopamine. Apomorphine is a partial agonist of dopamine and can inhibit the activity of the transmitter amine. Bromocriptine has no activity on the feline mesenterial flow. The postsynaptic dopamine receptors of the cat can be characterized by the following: strong efficacy of dopamine and lower ones of apomorphine, piribedil and of sulpiride. The presynaptic dopamine receptors are involved mostly in the hypotension, they are activated by low doses of apomorphine, and piribedil and by higher doses of dopamine; sulpiride reacts with these receptors in much lower doses than with the postsynaptic ones.